


The Cake Taste Like Old Medicine

by KrekeOrca



Series: Doron [2]
Category: Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Kamen Rider Zero-One
Genre: Family, Gen, Hanging Out, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Old Friends, Violence, cakes, friends - Freeform, read with caution, this went from Teen and up audience to mature real fast, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:07:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23496508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrekeOrca/pseuds/KrekeOrca
Summary: [an accidental continuation of "I Didn't Know You Smoke"]Fuwa has nightmares after chasing a rogue Humagear.At least he gets to bake cake for Jin's birthday.
Relationships: Fuwa Isamu & Horobi, Fuwa Isamu & Jin, Fuwa Isamu & Naki
Series: Doron [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1690648
Comments: 14
Kudos: 15





	The Cake Taste Like Old Medicine

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, I didn't intended form the start that I'll make a series out my first fic, but the universe got extended accidentally and suddenly there's more conflict that I wanted to put in here, so there's that. 
> 
> [TRIGGER WARNING]  
> DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE EASILY TRIGGERED BY MENTIONS OF SUICIDE OR ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH IT PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION.

It rained hard. It might turn into a storm later. His only protection from the cold weather was his jacket and the gloves he wore. He held tightly around his Shotriser, scanning the area of an old building complex. He had been chasing a rogue Humagear that would help him lead to the terrorist group that he’d been trying to take down. He found the Humagear doing God knows what near a government office building and he’d chase him all the way out here.

“No Humagear in sight,” he talked through his intercom, “what’s your situation?”

“Nothing’s here too, sir,” replied one of his men, “permission to do deep scanning inside the building,”

“Permission granted and you got permission to shoot that motherfucker if necessary, you got that?”

“Yessir!”

He scanned the area once more, shotriser ready to shoot whatever that was moving. The buildings were empty, full of possible hiding spots for suspicious Humagears. As far as he’s concerned, that Humagear might be weaponized and that made him all the more deadly. He didn’t need a dangerous Humagear sprung up from behind him.

“It wasn’t me.”

Fuwa turned quickly, behind him stood the Humagear that he was chasing after. He’s in a pathetic state just like Fuwa, drenched in rain from head to toe. His Humagear ear flashed in the dark, indicating that it was processing some information and it made Fuwa more cautious.

“Turn yourself in and we’ll go easy on you.” Fuwa tried to reasoned, even though he really wanted to shoot the AI.

“It wasn’t me,” it’s crazy, but he almost sounded like he was sobbing.

Then it hit him, he aimed his shotriser at the Humagear, ready to shoot. On the Humagear’s right hand he held a pistol, it didn’t occur to Fuwa why he didn’t see the weapon beforehand, probably because of the dark. The Humagear’s eyes weren’t focused on him, as if he was deep in thought, he had a pained expression on his face.

“Put the gun down, we don’t need any violence on this,” he turned on the locater on his intercom, signaling his troops that he found the Humagear.

The Humagear looked at him dead in the eyes, it shone red in the dark, Fuwa readied himself with the worst possible outcome. The Humagear raised his gun, aiming right to Fuwa’s head. The AIMS troops came just in time, all of them raising their weapons. Their orders were clear, shoot the target if necessary, but Fuwa knows better than to shoot down their most important and probably their only lead.

“Put the gun down! This is your last warning!” Fuwa ordered.

The Humagear didn’t budge, “it wasn’t me,” he said for the third time that night, his pained expression deepened, “It wasn’t me!”

“What didn’t you do? Who’s behind these attacks? Tell me!” Fuwa tried to pry as much information he could get.

“IT WASN’T ME!”

It happened way too fast. Fuwa was just seconded to shoot the Humagear, but the Humagear did the unexpected. He, the Humagear with the pained expression, shot himself in the head. His body fell to the ground, a loud thud echoed through the rain, blue liquid oozed from his head. The last light flickered on and off from his eyes before it turned blue and black forever.

Fuwa had nightmares for days because of that incident. He never would’ve thought a Humagear was capable of suicide if you can call it that. He might need to talk to Hiden about this. In the midst of shock, he ordered his troops to check the body, see if he’s still alive. When his troops said he was gone for good, Fuwa told them to mount the body in the van for further investigation, hoping that they could still find evidence in his memory.

“Let me see his weapon,” his men handed him the pistol, Fuwa inspected the weapon carefully, there’s a word that’s painted on the side of the pistol, but it was faded out like it was rubbed with a rough surface as if the owner wanted to erase it in a hurry.

“See if the lab can figure what this says,”

“Yessir.”

The rained poured harder, no sign of it calming down tonight. Fuwa watched as the blue liquid on the wet ground washed away in the rain, erasing the memory of the night’s incident. It wasn’t me, the Humagear kept saying. His expression was almost human it made Fuwa feel sympathetic. What does he mean? Why did he shoot himself? What’s really happening in this city and the citizens reside in it, Humans and Humagears? What is he supposed to do about this?

Fuwa walked to his van, deep in thought as the driver pulled away from the building complex. Whatever’s going to happen, Fuwa will secure this city with all his power and shoot the motherfucker that made it possible for a Humagear to terminate itself.

.

“I’m not gonna lie, but this taste like old medicine.” Fuwa put away the spoon he used to the sink, his tongue feeling as if it had seen better days. The kitchen he’s in was a mess, dirty dishes are piling up in the sink, while stains of flour and unknown liquid sprayed the kitchen counter.

“Fuck you, Fuwa, I wish you die lonely at the depths of hell,” Naki said bitterly, she continued to stir the mix of what she claimed to be ‘lemon cupcake’ but ended up tasting too sour and somehow bitter.

“What the hell did you put in there anyway, I never remembered lemon cupcake taste bitter.” Fuwa chugged a glass of cold milk to wash down the taste.

Naki pouted, “just some cake stuff, I got the recipe on youtube, there’s no way it tasted that bad.” She dipped her finger in the dough to give it a taste, “You know what, my child deserves better, let’s go buy cake mix.”

Naki untied the laces of her black apron, threw it on one of her kitchen stools and ran off to her room. Fuwa took his jacket off the hanger and grabbed his phone from the dining table, rubbing it a little against his jeans to clean off any flour stains. Naki walked out from her room wearing a black kimono jacket with a tiger motif at the back, her black purse tucked safely between her armpit.

Fuwa got a call earlier that day, it was Naki. She asked if Fuwa could help her make a birthday cake for Jin, since tomorrow is his birthday. He felt a little happy and proud that Naki had asked him to help her, even though she could have asked Horobi to make the cake, but Naki had insisted that she has to do it because she wanted to show Jin what a mother’s love can do, but then realized halfway that she sucks at making desserts, so she asked for back up.

“Is it okay to leave your kitchen like this?” Fuwa asked.

Naki waved her hand dismissively, “Horobi can handle it,” she locked the front door of her apartment.

Fuwa snorted, “you’ve gotten lazier since you got him.”

They turned to a street full of shops with busy people bustling around, shopping for daily needs or just taking an afternoon stroll. They entered a supermarket by the end of the street, Fuwa volunteered to hold the shopping basket. “Take the trolley,” Naki ordered, so Fuwa pulled the shopping cart behind her.

“Horobi helped a lot of house chores,” she said, looking between the lemon cupcake mix and the soft cake mix, “it would be devastating for him if he can’t do the dishes.”

“I figured,” Fuwa said, “does he also complains when he’s not allowed to scrub your bathroom?”

“He begs for it,” Naki put the lemon cake mix in the trolley and ushered Fuwa to follow her to the dairy aisle.

Fuwa slid two beer cans between Naki’s growing pile of groceries, thinking she wouldn’t realize until they reach the cash register, “you better pay that yourself, Fuwa,” she said

“I think it would suffice as my payment for having to taste that weird dough you made earlier,” Fuwa smirked.

Naki smiled sarcastically, “don’t make me ban you from my son’s birthday party.”

Fuwa laughed, “you don’t get to make decisions, Jin’s the birthday boy.”

“Yeah, and I’m his mother,” she stuck out her tongue, although she didn’t take out the two beer cans.

They strolled the supermarket for a good forty-five minutes before Naki decided she got everything she needed.

“We were only here to buy cake mix, how did we end up buying the whole store?” Fuwa asked.

“When you’re a mother, there is no doubt that you’ll buy a lot more than you intended because suddenly you remembered that you ran out of a lot of things at home,” Naki explained.

“Sounds like what my mom would do,”

“Try and ask every mom,”

In all his time knowing Naki, Fuwa would never in his right mind picture Naki as a mother. Not that she is incapable of being one, she’s responsible enough to be a parent. It’s also not because no one wants to marry her, she’s very beautiful to woo guys around her. It’s just that she said so herself that she wants to focus on chasing her career and afraid that she wouldn’t be good enough to focus on both family and career.

A lot of people these days are like Naki, busy chasing their dreams and career to take care of a family, Fuwa was one of them too. There’s nothing wrong with that, in fact, Fuwa was the first person to support Naki when she had moved to the city from their hometown to follow her dreams as a hairstylist when not even her family supported her.  
But when he looked at her now, buying groceries and preparing for her son’s birthday, working two jobs at the same time to provide for her son’s needs, Fuwa with no doubt believed that Naki was great at being a mom.

“Do you think we need to add frosting on his cake?” Fuwa asked as they waited in line.

“No, too much sugar, Jin gets wild when he eats too much sugar,” Naki said.

Fuwa nodded, “Where did Horobi take Jin to?”

“At this amusement park, they have this Humagear comedian whose really famous and Jin really wants to see him,” Naki took out a few cash and gave it to the cashier (she also paid for the beers), “I don’t really understand his jokes, it had something to do with his stomach or whatever.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve seen him before,” Fuwa again volunteered to carry all the groceries, but Naki insisted that she’s a big girl and big girls carry their own groceries, but she lets him carry the heaviest bag while she carried two light ones.

“It’s weird you know,” Naki said on their way back home, “when you’re a parent all you do is for your child, all your money are invested for their health and education, you wake up in the dead of the morning just to pack them school lunch even though you hate mornings, you worked your ass off just so you can give them whatever they want and see them smile their cute smile,”

Naki paused, at this specific moment she looked much older to Fuwa’s eyes, much more mature than the first time he met her in high school, much more experienced, maybe more than Fuwa’s own probably.

“Your world,” Naki continued, “is centered around him, nothing else mattered but him,” Naki glanced to Fuwa, a soft smile playing on her lips.

Naki is happy, Fuwa thought, the happiest she’s ever been. And Fuwa suddenly asked himself if he ever felt that happy anymore.

Once they arrived at Naki’s apartment, they wasted no time in baking the cake so they could finish before Horobi and Jin come back. Fuwa was in charge of mixing the dough this time, recalling what Naki did to the poor lemon cupcake before and left her in charge of decorating the cake.

“This is fun,” Fuwa said while putting the cake in the oven, “I think I need to do this more often,”

“Baking cake?” Naki asked almost in disbelief.

“No, hanging out with you,” He said sheepishly, “I think I might need some time to relax a little.”

“Dude, am I your only friend or something? Don’t you hang out with your AIMS friends?”

“I’m only close to them as colleagues, you know, I don’t like mixing my work life and private life.” Fuwa crossed his arms, sighing.

“Yet, most of your life is work-life, hon,” Naki pat him on the shoulder, “how do you expect to relax if you keep that workaholic lifestyle?”

“Hey, I do take a break once in a while, it just got a lot busier these days,” Fuwa said defensively.

“See, workaholic.”

Fuwa pouted, it’s not true that most of his life is for work. He takes breaks, too, like going to the gym and practice his shooting skills, or relaxing at his home while reading some mission reports. Ok, maybe he’s a little workaholic, but that is not his fault. It’s the bad guy’s fault.

“I’m can't allow myself to rest easy when bad people are terrorizing the city,”

That reason didn’t amuse Naki, “I think I know what you need.”

“What? A vacation?” Fuwa asked.

“You, my good friend, need a girlfriend,”

Fuwa scrunched his eyebrows, “No.”

“Yes,” Naki smirked, “I could hook you up with one of my coworkers at the salon if you want to, or maybe one of the waiters at the bar?”

“No, Naki, I don’t need to hook up,” This wasn’t the first time Naki suggested that Fuwa needs a date. He understood that Naki just wants her friend to be less lonely but he’s sure that he could manage his life without a girlfriend, at least for now.

“Oh, I know,” she sprung up another idea, “why not ask that partner of yours at AIMS? What’s her name again? Yayoi?”

“It’s Yaiba,” Fuwa said exhausted, “and no, no way I’ll ask her out!”

“Why not? She’s really hot,” Naki grinned deviously, “or maybe you don’t want a girlfriend? The Hiden Sachou is really cute too,” she laughed.

“What? No!” Fuwa jabbed Naki at the side of her stomach, making her squeal in pain.

Naki laughed hard, “chill out, Fuwa, I don’t mind if you swing that way or even swing both ways, I’ll support you to the very end,”

“Whatever,”

The oven dinged just in time before the doorbell rang. Fuwa and Naki frantically tried to hide the cake, Naki whispered screaming to hurry Fuwa to take the cake out. Fuwa yelped when he forgot to put mittens on when he took the hot cake.

“MOM! WE’RE BACK!” Jin yelled through the door.

“Put it in the fridge!” Naki ordered Fuwa, who is trying to cool off his burned hand.

“I just burned my hands shut up!” Fuwa grabbed the nearest cloth and put the cake in the fridge.

Naki ran through the door and unlocked it, “Jin baby! Welcome back, how was the park?”

Jin was holding Horobi’s hand, the little boy had a big stuffed animal on his other hand, hugging it tightly. He was about to tell the most epic story about his day at the amusement park when he smelled, “is someone baking cake?”

“No, not at all!” Naki panicked.

“But I can smell lemon cake all over the house,” Jin walked around the living room, sniffing around to find said cake. Naki panicked and whispered to Horobi not to let Jin in the kitchen, she doesn’t want to spoil the surprise.

That’s when Fuwa emerged from the kitchen, “Hey, kiddo, what’s up?”

Jin squealed, “Uncle Isamu!” he proceeded to give Fuwa the tightest hug.

“Yeah, missed you too buddy,” Fuwa returned the hug and ruffling his bird nest hair, “had a fun day, Horobi?”

Horobi nodded, “Jin forced me to ride bumper cars sixteen times,”

“What are you doing at my house?” Jin asked, his head tilted in curiosity.

“Can’t I come and play at your house?”

Jin grinned, “do you want to play kamen rider with me?”

“As long as I get to play Vulcan.”

Jin pulled Fuwa to his room and told him all about his day at the amusement park. Fuwa gave a wink to Naki, signaling that he managed to take Jin’s mind off the cake. Naki sighed in relief, she and Horobi went to the kitchen to deal with the cake and the mess she left after baking it. Horobi went straight to clean the dishes, while Naki decorated the cake.

Jin told Fuwa about the comedian Humagear that he saw at the amusement park and showed him a piece of the Humagear’s stomach, “It went BAM! And then his stomach exploded and was all over the place!”

If Fuwa didn’t understand the joke, his story would’ve been very scary.

They played until later that evening, they stopped when they smelled delicious curry from down the hall.

“You’re staying for dinner, right?” Naki asked or more like ordered him to.

“That sounds like a threat,” Fuwa said.

“Yes, I’m threatening you to eat mine and Horobi’s delicious cooking,” Naki placed plates around the table with Horobi’s help, Jin also helped setting spoons for each person.

“I like to help mommy, too, because Horobi said that makes me a good boy,” He explained, earning a chuckle from Fuwa and a ruffle on his hair.

They sat around the small dining table, eating happily while listening to Jin’s endless chatter, even Horobi sat with them even though he didn’t eat. Jin got scolded multiple times for talking while chewing from either his mother or Horobi. Fuwa laughed every time, the curry was warm and delicious and it reminded him of home.

“Who wants ice cream?” Naki took out three ice pops from the freezer.

“ME! ME! ME!” Jin jumped up and down on his seat. Horobi had to hold on to his shirt so he wouldn’t fall.

Jin got strawberry flavor while Naki and Fuwa ate the saltwater ice cream. Horobi went to wash the dishes afterward, Fuwa asked if he could help, but Naki wouldn’t let his guest do the hard work. So Fuwa sat in front of the TV with Jin on his lap, watching old anime movies.

He understood now, what makes Naki happy with her current life. Fuwa himself was fortunate to feel a glimpse of what it’s like, thanks to her and her little family. Here in this little apartment, he felt warm and content, like he was in a meadow, warm summer breeze touching his face. He forgot how that felt. If he were at home right now, Fuwa would’ve ordered in some food and buried himself in his work. He never would’ve thought that his day would end up with a sleeping Jin on his lap and the soft noise of old anime movies from the TV. It felt nice.

“Is he asleep?” Naki peeked to the living room after taking a call.

“Yeah,” Fuwa whispered.

Naki slowly picked up her son from Fuwa’s lap, mouthed a thank you to Fuwa and placed Jin to his room. Fuwa sat there for a little while, looking out to the balcony facing the city. He opened the balcony door and enjoyed the cold night air.

“It’s going to rain tomorrow,” Horobi came from behind him, holding a beer can for Fuwa, “Naki-san asked me to give you this,”

“Thanks,” Fuwa opened the can and took a sip.

They stood there in silence, both deep in thought. Suddenly Fuwa remembered that night, he felt a chill down his spine just thinking about it. Somehow, Horobi’s presence made him think of that rogue Humagear. Maybe that Humagear was hacked by his owner and they made him do that to cover up evidence or maybe he had a bad singularity, or whatever Hiden had called it, just like Horobi and it made him think of the unthinkable for a Humagear to do.

“Your eyes looked sad,” Horobi broke the silence.

Fuwa glanced at him, “come again?”

“Naki-san had the same expression every time she’s deep in thought, maybe she’s thinking about Jin, or maybe she’s thinking about her jobs, who knows,” Horobi looked at him in the eyes, “what are you thinking, Fuwa-san?”

The cold night air made Fuwa’s back shivered, Horobi’s words and serious expression had to do something about it too. Then the rogue Humagear’s face flashed in Fuwa memory. The same pained expression decorated his face.

_“It wasn’t me.”_

He chugged his beer can empty. He might as well ask another Humagear if he wanted solid answers.

“I was just thinking,” Fuwa started, “do you think a Humagear is capable of suicide?”  
Fuwa continued to tell Horobi the whole story, how he found the Humagear, to chase him down to the building complex until the very last moment of the Humagear. Horobi was silent during Fuwa’s story, looking far to the city’s night skyline. Fuwa expected a little reaction while he tells his tale, but he wasn’t surprised that Horobi said nothing until he finished his story.

When he finished though, Horobi didn’t speak. For a half minute, they were silent. The night breeze passed by them again, Fuwa hoped he brought his cigs with him to warm his body at least.

“If you are asking, if a Humagear is capable of copying human behavior, the answer is yes,” Horobi finally said, “but if you are asking if we are capable to terminate ourselves for whatever reason, I can’t be certain of it.” Horobi then looked Fuwa in the eyes again, with the same serious expression, but this time, with a tint of sadness, “all I could process is that Humagear must feel very lonely.”

“Why do you say so?” Fuwa’s voice was almost a whisper as the breeze turned into the wind.

Horobi looked away from Fuwa, eyes on the starless sky, “Because I know how that felt.”

It rained hard that night and Horobi was right.

**Author's Note:**

> Some of you may get disappointed when you found out who's Jin's mother is, but my first intention was just to leave her anonymous because I don't really know who the mom should be, but then someone gave me an idea that it should be Naki and I don't want it to be Yua because I have other plans for her :)
> 
> Anyways, I'm very sorry if I didn't capture Naki's personality well, but I try to picture her like how I would picture her actress, Nakayama Satsuki (a genderless model and actress, she's very cool).
> 
> talk to me on Tumblr!  
> https://krekeorca.tumblr.com/


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